


PRAEGRESSUS est bitch

by ech0_starr



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokeumans
Genre: Dissociation, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Gen, Main child has DID, Main child is nonbinary, Mod doesn't know how to tag, Nonbinary Character, Self-inflicted injury tw, Transformation, Writing with very little reference, bullying tw, injury tw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-01-14 18:03:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18481501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ech0_starr/pseuds/ech0_starr
Summary: ((Is it Revive that Dead Sub-Fandom™️ time? I think it's Revive that Dead Sub-Fandom™️ timeRiley Masters, called Habit by those who know them, struggles through changes in identity and loyalty, all while learning to adapt to their new way of life.AKA: Eevee genetics and evolution fluctuations tend to get fucked up by having multiple identities in one bodyObvious warning for swearing





	1. 001:: There was a Clique

**Author's Note:**

> Pokéumans is not mine, it belongs to pokemonmanic3595 on DeviantArt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories slip between our fingers, even when they're the only reason we're speaking.

          There was a click, followed by the whirr of an old-fashioned tape recorder. The sound carried through the room, surrounding the three people sitting inside.

          “State your name,” a rough male voice commanded. It belonged to what appeared to be a businessman, dressed in a professional suit and tie. He looked to be in his mid-forties, short, heavy-set but not overweight. He leaned on the desk, staring down the younger boy across from him.

          “Xan Hopper,” the boy replied cautiously.

          The woman in the room spoke up next. “That's with an X, short for Alexander.”

          The boy nodded. He looked to be a junior, maybe a senior in high school; tall, but in an athletic way, like a stereotypical basketball player. “Am I in trouble?”

          “No,” the man said, slowly, “I just wanted to ask a few questions about what happened.”

          “Are you with the police, uh…” Xan glanced across the table, trying to read the small badge pinned to the man's breast pocket. “Mr…. Warren. Are you a cop?”

          The man — Mr. Warren — sighed. “If it'll stop your asking questions, then yes, I'm with the police. Now, the sooner you tell me what happened, the sooner you can get back to class.”

          Xan smirked. “Well, if you put it that way, it all started in August of 2001–”

          The woman reached over and tapped him on the shoulder somewhat forcefully. “Sorry, Professor Daniels,” he muttered sheepishly

          The woman was a faculty member, then. Mr. Warren sighed again. “If you're not going to be cooperative, Mr. Hopper, there are others I could ask.”

          Now it was Xan’s turn to sigh. “OK, so there's this chick. Around my age, maybe a year below me, I dunno for sure. She's pretty weird, though, and the boys and I—”

          “Weird?” Mr. Warren interrupted. “Weird how?”

          “Well, I don't think she's got a lot of friends, and no one knows her name…”

          Warren gestured impatiently with his hand. “Elaborate.”

          “She's constantly changing it. Not every day, but often enough and random enough that no one can keep track of when she uses which name. There are maybe… eight? Seven or eight that she just, like, switches between. Eventually, the student body just unanimously decided to call her Habit, just so it didn't get confusing.”

          Ms. Daniels spoke up in the silence that followed, flipping through a student roster. “If by ‘Habit,’ you mean Riley Masters, they're a sophomore.” She looks up from the book, then over at Mr. Warren. “Riley has DID, which I suppose explains the switching names.”

          Warren sighed again. “Between the two of you, at least we have a name and their basic information. So, Mr. Hopper, I'd assume you have classes with Ms. Masters?”

          “Mx,” Ms. Daniels corrected. She pronounced it like 'mex.’ “Due to them essentially being multiple people in one body, they've chosen to be addressed as nonbinary when referenced as a group.”

          Xan made an indifferent noise. “Either way, it's more like one singular _class_ , and we have the same lunch on top of that. That's… where it happened.”

          “In lunch?” Warren asked, presumably to clarify, and Xan nodded.

          “As I was saying earlier, Habit doesn't have many friends, so she—” He's interrupted by another light slap from Ms. Daniels. “Sorry, _they_ _._ They usually sit alone at lunch, and the table they've claimed is close to the one the boys and I sit at.”

          “‘The boys’?”

          “Yeah. Dave, Tim, an—”

          “Full names, please.”

          Xan sighed. “David Catena, he's the one who…” He trailed off.

          “...The one who was attacked,” Ms. Daniels supplied.

          “Yeah.” He looked over at her. “Is that what they're calling it? An attack?”

          Mr. Warren cut off whatever she was going to say in response. “Mr. Catena and..?”

          Xan shook his head, as if trying to clear it. “Right, right. There's Dave, then Timothy Sanders and Joseph Ross. They're on the basketball team too.”

          “Mr. Catena as well?”

          He shook his head. “Nah, Dave's a football guy. He and I are in the same Physics class though. Anyway, I think it started just like any other day…”

* * *

  

**The boys and I were goofing off at our table, and as usual, Habit walked by with her-- er, no, with _their_ lunch.**

          A noisy cafeteria, just another stereotypical part of a stereotypical Illinois high school. The stereotypical lunch tables were aligned in rows, and as would be expected, many were almost if not completely empty, having been abandoned in favor of squishing together into cliques.

          A small team of four stands out — almost like a sub-group, taking up about half of a table at the fringe of what appears to be the jocks’ tables. They were joking around, almost throwing food in the chaos and excitement. Two were tall, like basketball players, and generally pale. A third was shorter but muscular, and appeared to be Mexican or otherwise Latino in origin. The fourth was African-American and of mostly unremarkable height and build.

          Someone walked by the table then — a girl, or perhaps just a very feminine-looking boy. Their hair was a dark, dirty blonde, cut extremely short; they wore a pale purple short-sleeved shirt that appeared at least a few sizes too big for them, and a pair of jeans. They had a small tray of food in their hands, and were looking off to the side, not really paying attention to their surroundings.

 

**I think they tripped over Joey's backpack, and that's what kicked it off this time.**

          Their lack of attention may have been why they didn't see the dark blue book bag at their feet. They stumbled, and barely managed to catch themself by letting go of the tray with their left hand and bringing it down somewhat forcefully on the nearest height-considerate stable surface: the African-American boy's shoulder.

 

**“This time”?**

          As soon as he felt the pressure on his arm, without even missing a beat, the boy lifted the other student's hand off of him, making them lose their balance and fall.

          In a stroke of luck, they didn't land on top of their food, but the force of the landing caused it to get everywhere on the floor around the ‘crash site.’ All of the boys at the table started laughing uproariously.

 

**Yeah… This time. It's always some different excuse for being dicks to Habit. I'm the only one smart about it, though: based on how they're carrying themselves, there are times where I won't mess with them. They've got a bit of an attitude to…Heh, well, to some of their names I guess.**

          The student on the ground went red, embarrassed, and managed to push back up to their knees before the muscular boy shoved them back down. “Where d’you think you're going, freak?”

          “Yeah,” the African-American one sneered, “now Davey and I've both touched you. We don't want the shit you've got.”

          “Thank god you only touched her shirt, and she only touched yours. That means it won't be as bad,” one of the tall students added, and everyone laughed again.

 

**It wasn't supposed to go like that… At least, I don't think it was… Sorry, the details are a bit fuzzy, but I don't think she— damn, no, _they_. I don't think they should've been an asshole this time.**

          The student ignored them, still flushed red, and pushed up again, managing to stay up that time. They started to pick up the food that had gotten on the floor, but didn't get very far before they were hauled up by the back of their shirt. They broke free and turned around, ending up face to face with the boy who had shoved them earlier, the one addressed as “Davey.”

          “Well, _freak_?” he spat. “Gonna say anything?”

          Their face was slowly cooling down, but the smartass reply they were preparing died in their throat when they saw an entire half of the cafeteria staring at them. None were doing anything, but they froze under the attention.

          The other tall boy — the one who hadn't spoken — reached across the table and shoved them. Still slightly off-balance, they tumbled into the table next to them, forcing people to scoot out of the way so they wouldn't land on them. There was a chorus of “ooh”s, almost louder than the laughter from the jocks’ tables.

          “What's wrong,” Davey asked mockingly, “can the freak not speak?” He chuckled and grabbed their shirt collar again, hauling them up. “I'll give you something to shout about.”

 

**Then…**

* * *

 

          The room went silent, aside from the recorder. Mr. Warren waved impatiently. “I don't have all day to sit here and talk to you, Mr. Hopper.”

          Ms. Daniels was a bit more supportive. “What happened after that, Alexander?”

          Xan furrowed his brows. “I, uh… No, no, not me, Dave. Dave was going to… punch her? No, _them_ , sorry. I… If not a punch, he was definitely gonna attack her… Damn. No. _Them_. Dave was going to attack Habit. Somehow.”

          “And Mx. Masters fought back?” Warren asked. He leaned forward on the table again, looking intrigued.

          “I, uh…” Xan shook his head again, as if to shake his thoughts back into order. “I can't remember… You said Dave was attacked, so someone had to have done something, but…”

          Warren clicked off his tape recorder, and the noise ceased. Ms. Daniels put her hand on Xan’s shoulder comfortingly as he stood up, putting the recorder into his pocket. “Don't strain yourself, Mr. Hopper. Whatever you're forgetting is most likely better left in the dust.” He then looked towards Ms. Daniels and gave his first smile of the meeting. “Thank you for your help. I'm deeply sorry that this happened to your lovely school community.”

          She stood up as well, holding out her hand for him to shake. He did so. “Obviously not as lovely as we first thought, given Alexander's statement here,” she replied. “And thank you for _your_ help as well. I'm sure I speak for the whole school community when I wish you luck with whatever step comes next.”

          Warren nodded, then pulled out a business card and handed it to Xan. A quick glance showed it to be a detective's card, fairly legit, with a name that matched up —  _so he_ was _with the police._ “If you remember anything, or if anything else like this happens, feel free to call me, alright?”

          Xan nodded, and Warren handed one to Ms. Daniels as well before grabbing his coat and turning to leave.

          “Wait, Mr. Warren..?” Xan said somewhat loudly, standing up. Warren turned to look back at him. “If I can ask, off the books… What happened to Dave? I… I honest to god can't remember, but… I need to know.”

          The man sighed. “By the time anyone called 9-1-1, the attack had already happened, so I don't have many details at all, even less that aren't classified for now.”

          He turned back to the door, opened it, then spoke again. “What I _can_ tell you is that Mr. Catena was wheeled off to the hospital with severe burns. Witnesses said they saw sparks, so we can only assume it was a controlled electrical fire, perhaps started with a spark lighter. Be wary of Mx. Masters, Alexander -- they weren't there when we arrived. No one knows what they'll do next.”

          “But—” Xan started to protest, but the door was closed and Mr. Warren was gone before he could get anything out.

          “...Habit wouldn't hurt anyone… would they..?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First story? First story! Officially posted!! *insert applause here*
> 
> I'm actually somewhat proud of this? Obviously it's not done, there will be more though, don't worry. (No one's worried) But for something I wrote mostly while sleep-deprived at the ungodly insomniac hour of 2am, it's not that bad.
> 
> Also, this is my first time trying to write a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder, so if I say anything that you feel misrepresents the disorder, please tell me. I am so SO sorry in advance that happens. I have one good friend who has DID, and I've interacted with a few more people with it over the internet, so I know a bit, but most of my references are articles on the internet, so I'm sure there will be mistakes somewhere. Please, if you spot them and it annoys or insults you, please tell me so I can fix it.
> 
> Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the story 💜💜


	2. 002:: Anu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boy tries to make amends. We meet the fiery bender of water.

          The high school that Alexander Hopper attended sat on the corner of a busy intersection downtown. An intersection that was then closed off, due to the multitude of police cars sitting in front of the building.

          To the back of the school was a small forest, supposedly haunted and the location of many-a high-school dare.

          And somewhere in the thick of those trees, someone was searching Riley Masters' backpack.

          "What are you doing?"

          "What does it look like I'm doing?" Xan responded, throwing books and notebooks and the like onto the ground. "Empty your pockets?"

          Riley scoffed. "I don't have to listen to you," they snapped. "I think you've done enough."

          He looked over at them, expression somewhere between worry and irritation. "I'm trying to help you, Habit, could you just… _please_ empty your pockets?"

          Riley leaned sideways against a tree. "I don't carry anything in my pockets except my phone, sometimes. What are you even looking for?"

          Xan leaned down and started to pick up the things he'd thrown to the ground, clearly having not found what he wanted — or, perhaps, didn't want — to find. "From what I've heard? _A spark lighter_."

          Riley blinked. _Well, that's interesting._ "From what you've _heard?_ You were there, wouldn't you know?"

          "I'd like to think I would, but I don't. So _from what I've heard_ , you attacked Dave with a spark lighter."

          "Do people even carry those anymore?"

          "Enough people do that the private investigator suggested it as the most likely—"

          Riley raised a hand, cutting him off. "I'm gonna stop you right there and ask what you mean by 'private investigator'."

          Xan pulled a small rectangular piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to them. "Idiot gave me a card, said to call him if I remembered anything," he explained. "Though, he said that right after saying that maybe I shouldn't try to remember, so overall I was getting mixed vibes from the dude."

          They flipped the card over in their hands a few times. It was sturdy, professionally printed. Though… Something felt off about it, though they weren't sure what. _This is weird, I hate this, give it back give it back give it back—_

          Riley did not give it back. They simply flipped it over again. "It's sticky," they said, though they weren't quite sure what that had to do with anything.

          Xan, now done repacking the backpack, grabbed the card back from them and flipped it over a few times himself. "Kinda, yeah," he agreed. "Maybe he was eating before he came by."

 _Doubt it._ "Doubt it," Riley echoed. "If that were the case, only parts of it would be sticky."

          Xan hummed in affirmation. "Yeah, guess so." He paused. "Uh, well, maybe I should have asked this first but, who am I talking to right now?"

 _Damn, another first._ Riley narrowed their eyes. "Why do you care suddenly?"

          His eyes showed that he was serious as he spoke. "Because one of my good friends is in the hospital and everyone except me thinks that you're the reason."

          "That's because—"

          He cut them off. "And because while I was forced to give a statement, I realized that I'd been kind of being a dick to you, and I want to try and make it a bit better by helping you _not have to go to jail_."

          Both students were silent for a moment, then, "Anu."

          "What?"

          "That's my name — er, my name right now. It's Anu."

          Xan nodded. "Okay, nice to officially meet you, Anu. I apologise for being such a dick to you and the others."

_Apology accepted. He's being genuine._

_That doesn't make it okay, Kaelyn._

_But that_ also _doesn't make it okay to be a dick to him in return._

          Riley — or, it seemed, Anu — looked Xan in the eyes, then took their backpack back from him. "Prove it, then."

          They started to walk away, but Xan headed after them, jogging to catch up with their fast pace. "Hab—er, Anu, wait!"

          Anu did not wait, so Xan didn't stop. "Where are you going?"

          "Somewhere that's not here," they hissed in response. "And quiet down, unless you _want_ to be spotted."

          "What about the police?" he asked; a bit quieter, but only a bit.

          "I know my way around."

          "And what about Dave?"

          Only then did Anu stop walking. " _He's in the hospital_ , Anu," he continued, "and it's clear that the cops are taking this as a serious offense if they've already got a PI looking into you. So I need to know… did you attack David Catena?"

          They turned around to face him. "No, I didn't."

          "What about the others? Did any of them—"

          Anu raised their hands in surrender. "Look, man. If any of us hurt your friend, even if it was an accident, Kay would be walking our ass to the police station as we speak. I wasn't even there when it happened — I just came forward to get us the fuck outta there, so I know about as much as you seem to."

          Xan looked away. He didn't look satisfied, but he'd also been the one to say he didn't think they were guilty.

          He had barely looked back towards them to ask another question when they lost their footing and stumbled.

          "Woah, shit!" he shouted, barely managing to catch them before they hit the ground. "Are you okay? What happened?"

          Anu blinked a few times, then stood up, placing one hand against a tree for balance. "Well, that was weird," they said slowly, brows furrowed, obviously confused.

          "Anu, what was that?"

          "I don't know. I thought that would be evident by how confused I sound." They didn't sound confused anymore — they just sounded sarcastic.

          Xan stepped back. "Okay, okay, just… do you need help, or something?"

          "I'll be fine. I'll get some water once I get where I'm going."

          They had barely waved it off and straightened up before it happened again. Their eyelids fluttered and they stumbled, but Xan was more prepared this time, so it was less of a close call.

          He laid them down on the ground, and almost immediately their back arched in a way bordering on unnatural. After a second, they laid back down flat, breathing heavily. "Anu..?" he asked, cautiously, quietly.

          Just then, right before Alexander Hopper's skeptical eyes, a large fraction of Anu's sandy-coloured hair dyed itself brown.

          "Okay, that's not natural," he muttered to himself, softly grabbing some of it. There was no difference between the blonde and the brown except the colour — though even as he sat there, the brown colouring spread, slowly overtaking Anu's natural colour.

          He dropped it in favour of shaking their shoulder, trying to wake them up. "Anu, come on, we gotta get out of here and I'm not sure how you'd feel about me carrying you."

          A pained groan was their only response, and Xan moved to grab their backpack from where it had fallen.

          That's when he saw the light.

          It was dimmer than a flashlight, but still noticeable, which was impressive considering it was still daytime. It hovered in the air a bit further into the treeline. Intrigued, he stood up to investigate, but he'd barely gotten three steps closer to it when it started blinking at him angrily.

          Xan stepped back and shrugged, not sure what it wanted. It drooped — disappointedly? — and floated quickly over to Anu, then got back in position.

          "Anu? Do you know what happened to them?" he asked, not caring how stupid he must have sounded. The wisp — because that's what it must be, he decided — bobbed up and down, as if nodding.

          "Can you help them? Or, find help for them?" It nodded again, and he sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God."

          He wasn't sure why he was so relieved. Perhaps it was because now he didn't have to bring them to a hospital where they might be ID-ed. Trusting the light seemed like a bad idea as well, but considering the alternative was failing the one thing he'd said he was trying to do, he did so anyway.

          Shrugging Anu's backpack onto his shoulder, he leaned down and picked them up bridal-style, earning another pained groan. Their hair was almost entirely brown then, and whenever their eyes were open enough for him to see them, the looked cloudy and out-of-focus. He brushed their bangs out of their eyes. "Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay, I'm gonna find help."

          Xan Hopper took one final look at the school, the surrounding streets, the traffic that moved again, the police cars that passed him by without notice. Then he turned and followed the wisp into the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't quote me on this but I think bringing a completely normal, purebred human to a base is extremely illegal, soooooooooo I'm excited to see how this goes


	3. yvmjXQ9iT3RPaW+evOS/6krrDoVESfRCKmk9k1NPGeI=

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /ten.noitpyrcnesea//:sptth  
> 128 tcnitxE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have all the resources. Feel free to read the message which most cannot read.
> 
> I'm severely sorry for this

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

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise next chapter will be back to the story but I couldn't pass up the opportunity


	4. 003:: Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boy meets allies in unlikely forms, and discovers an age-old secret that we were never meant to know.

         Xan Hopper was never one to be extremely trusting.

         Except, it seemed, when it came to trusting ghosts.

         He didn't know if that made things better. To be completely honest, it probably didn't, but if he had any other option to help Anu, he would have taken it by then.

         So there he was, walking through the forest with his new friend unconscious in his arms, passing tree after tree after tree.

_ Tree, bush, flower, bush, bush, tree, squirrel, bush, dead bush, squirrel, flower, bush, squirrel, dead bush, tree, dead tree, squirrel, flower, dead bush, tree, dead tree, tree, dead bush, flower, tree, human, tree— _

_          Wait. Human? _

         Xan stopped, did a double-take, and sure enough, there was a kid, probably around his age, standing just inside the treeline. He would have completely passed them — it was hard to tell if they were a girl or a boy, due to the lighting — if the wisp hadn't started swirling excitedly around their head. Brown hair, brown eyes, dark skin, and even a camo jacket — they looked like they were built to blend in.

         Once they saw that Xan had noticed them, the teen gave him a once-over. Their eyes lingered over Anu. "That's the sick one?" they asked. Their voice wasn't definitively masculine or feminine either.

         Xan blinked. "Excuse me?"

         The wisp flickered excitedly a few times then snuggled into the kid's hair, and only then did Xan understand what was going on. "Er, yes, they're…" he started, "I don't really know what's going on. The wisp is yours?"

         The teen grinned at him lopsidedly. "You could say that." They held their hand out for Xan to shake, then took another look at him holding Anu, and moved back. "Name's Tyler. And I'm a girl, I can see the question on your face."

         Xan blushed slightly. "Right, sorry. So… if the wisp lead us to you, does that mean you can help Anu?"

         "If the wisp lead you to me, that means I can take you to the only people who can."

         With that, Tyler knocked on a tree next to her, and the air in the forest rippled and shifted.

         And if Xan Hopper hadn't already seen the will-o-wisp, and seen Anu's hair change color mysteriously, he wouldn't have believed his eyes when a door materialized in front of him.

         Outwardly, all he did was blink a few times. "Uh, okay. There's a door now."

         Tyler grinned again. "You'll get used to it," she said. Then, she turned to the door. "El! You here?"

         The door opened, and a red-headed girl — El, supposedly — poked her head out. "Yeah," she said, "thought it'd be quicker if I showed up, considering the context." She looked at Xan, then at Anu. "That her?"

         "Uh, yeah," Xan said. "Who are you two? What the hell is going on?"

         "I'm Elyssa," El said, speaking quickly. "That's Tyler. And it's pretty much our job to help people like you two, so come on, chop chop, the door won't stay open forever."

         As if tuned in to her words, the door frame around her flickered. Tyler booked it through the opening, and gestured from the other side for Xan to follow her. He hesitated for a minute, considering his options… and then it occurred to him that he didn't really have any other options, so he stepped through the doorway.

         The doorway, as most do, led to a hallway, but this surprised Xan, since last he'd seen the door had been free-standing in the middle of a forest. Tyler was up ahead gesturing to him, so he followed her, and Elyssa closed the door then followed as well. It vanished once it was sealed, leaving the hallway to stretch in the other direction as well.

         Tyler lead the group to another door. This one didn't look as mystical — it was more high-tech, professional security. It looked out of place among the stone walls. "Don't be scared," she said while grinning, which honestly had the opposite effect she intended. "Just tell it why you're here."

         Xan hadn't even gotten the chance to ask what "it" was when a panel detached from the wall and a robotic arm slid out. Well, if you could even call it an arm when it had what looked like a security camera lens at the front of it. It beeped and buzzed at Xan, who took a few steps back in shock.

         "U-Uh…" he hesitated as the camera edged closer to him, looking him over, then leaning down and looking at Anu. "M-My friend needs help. She just… passed out? And her hair used to be blonde, if that means anything."

         The camera panned back up to his face, hesitated there for a second, then seemed to nod and retracted back into the door. Xan sighed in relief as the various locks on the door clicked open.

         Tyler moved to pull it open. Walls that looked like they belinged in a school or government building could be seen inside. "Didn't I say not to be scared?"

         "Yeah, well, easy for you to say," Xan hissed. "You probably see that thing all the time."

         "Only when we're with someone new," Elyssa said, holding up her right hand. Tyler did the same, and Xan noticed that the two girls had matching slate gray rings on their fingers. Then, she moved to stand next to Tyler and gestured to the open doorway. "Guests first."

         And so he stepped inside.

         Once he was a few steps in, Elyssa shoved in front of him. "I can lead you to the infirmary," she offered. "Ty has class, I think, but I'm free so yeah."

         Xan blinked in confusion for the third time in the past hour. "Class?"

         El waved dismissively. "Yeah, this is a school, too. You're not getting out of classes cuz of this, tough luck, you'll get used to it."

         "What? I'm—"

         She cut him off, "You're gonna get lost if you don't follow me, so hurry up."

         He paused, considered continuing his sentence, decided against it, and followed.

* * *

 

         The building was pretty nice, aside from the random odd-looking animals walking through the halls and staring at him.

         "Just ignore them," Elyssa said. "They act like they haven't seen a true-form human in years. Guess that's cuz some of them haven't."

         Some sort of bipedal scorpion walked past them, whispering quietly to a large red alligator or crocodile of some kind. Xan was almost certain they were aliens. He shifted Anu in his arms so he could wave at them, and they ran off. "Weird…"

         "Hm?"

         "What are these things, Elyssa?"

         She glanced back at him, confused, then steeled herself again and waved him off. "You'll see. Come on, it's just around the corner."

         Xan followed, though he was curious about just what exactly Elyssa was keeping from him. As El had said, the infirmary was right around the corner, and she held the door open for Xan to carry Anu inside.

         He wasn't sure why he hadn't expected another one of those alien things. Maybe because he'd only just encountered some of them. But even if he had been expecting one, it would have been something like that scorpion, or one of the other large ones that he'd seen.

         In no world would he have ever expected the electric blue and white squirrel creature that stood in front of him.

         The thing barely stood the height of the medical stretcher's legs, and that was even when it was lower to the ground. It jumped up on top of it to be a bit more level, then it — to Xan's amazement — addressed them in English. "Oh, Miss Blake." It's voice sounded feminine. "Is everything alright? Who are these two?"

         Anu had been mostly still and silent before then, but at the creature's address, they groaned and shifted. "No……"

         "Hey, hey, I think I can get you some help here. It's gonna be okay." Xan looked back over at the creature. "Please tell me you can help them."

         It scrunched up its face, looking concerned. "If you've come here, then I most likely can. Lay her on the table, we can start there." It jumped onto a tall stool in front of a computer and started poking at buttons and keyboard keys with its tiny paws.

         Once Anu was laying down flat, they started to shift uncomfortably again. Looking at them from farther off, Xan realized just how short they were now — much more so than when they'd left the school. He brushed their bangs out of their eyes, and they smiled at him deliriously before going back to groaning and curling up in pain.

         "Do you know what's wrong with her, Lei? Is it just the process?" Elyssa seemed oddly concerned, for someone who'd only just met Anu.

         "That would depend," the squirrel — Lei — replied, "on what the child is going to become. Are there any signs yet?"

         "None that are super obvious."

         " _ Become _ ?" Xan echoed. "Anu's gonna become one of those things out there?"

         The two ignored him, but Lei turned to look at him. "Has anything changed about your friend recently?"

         "Uh… yeah. Their hair used to be blonde, and now it's brown. Also they used to be taller." He paused. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

         They both still didn't answer. "If that's all, that means it's only the first or second day… no way to tell yet. But I'll keep brown-colored and small in mind."

         Xan was quiet for a bit, then, "Wait! One more thing. I think they electrocuted someone."

         El took a step forward. " _ Electrocuted _ ?"

         He nodded. "I think it was just a small spark… well, no, it would have to have been pretty big. But it was controlled. One of my friends got sent to a hospital with burns cuz of the fire it started."

         "You second-guessed yourself," Lei noted.

         "Well, that's cuz I can't really remember the event at all. I know I saw it, but… never mind. Is there no way to help them without knowing what they'll turn into?"

         Lei and Elyssa looked at each other, seeming to communicate wordlessly. "What? What's that look for?"

         "You can't remember  _ anything _ ?" El asked, and Xan shook his head.

         "Not from the 'attack', no. Why?"

         Lei jumped down from the stool she was standing on. "Miss Blake will stay with your friend, they'll be safe here. I need to, er… speak with you."

         "Wh— okay?" He took one more look at Anu, then glanced at Elyssa, who nodded and sat down in a chair next to where Anu was laying. Then he followed Lei into a small office off to the side of the room. "What's up?"

         She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked over to a small desk — obviously custom-made for her size — and sat down. Xan sat cross-legged on the floor, because even though he was used to feeling tall, it felt awkward in this situation.

         Eventually, she sighed. "What's your name?"

         "Alexander Hopper, but uh, everyone calls me Xan."

         She paused, then sighed again. "Alexander Hopper, I believe you're not supposed to be here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to get my boi into some trouble :3c


	5. 004:: Memorial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the things that happen behind-the-scenes are more important than what's right in front of your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of free time so take some chapters back-to-back. I'll try to make this happen a bit more often, but no promises

          _Well, that's interesting._

         What's interesting?

         Terry, where'd you get a spark lighter?

         Huh? I don't have a spark lighter.

         You were in charge, the guy mentioned a spark lighter—

          _That's_ what you're worried about?

         I— Wh— I'm sorry?

         He can't remember clearly, even though he was definitely there.

         ...fine. I'll check it out.

  


          _This is weird, I hate this, give it back give it back give it back—_

         What's wrong with it?

          _Everything_!!! It feels… I dunno, cursed?

         Who would curse a fuckin' business card?

         I dunno, but it's just got bad vibes, something's up.

         You think _everything_ has bad vibes, Kaelyn.

         That's cuz most things do!!

         Shut your trap, I'm intrigued. Deal with the offending card for a bit longer, okay?

         ...fine.

  


          _Apology accepted. He's being genuine._

_That doesn't make it okay, Kaelyn._

_But that also doesn't make it okay to be a dick to him in return._

         Nellie's right. You have to stop being so uptight, Jo.

         I don't understand why you three are so willing to accept this guy who's been an ass for us for basically our entire existence.

         Three?

         I'm not letting Anu's part in this slide either, Nelle.

         What? Who _ever_ said I was fine with this?

         I think Jo thinks that since you're not attacking him, you're okay with him.

         They _clearly_ know you too well.

         No— Guys, look, he was there. And he was present for everything after. He's already told me that there's fucking _cops_ after us, which is _really good to know_. So maybe we keep him around as a source of intel.

         I have to agree with Anu on this one. It might be smart to have a source of information around, someone who can talk to people we can't.

         Thank you, Vik! See? _Someone_ sees my point!

         And _someone_ is spacing out. Focus on the other conversation, we can sort this out ourselves.

         You're the one who dragged me in to this, but okay. Fine.

* * *

 

         What. The hell. Just happened.

         I thought you would know, considering you were the one interacting.

         Well I think the first question is _who the hell is interacting now_?

         Well, it's obviously not me.

         Not me, either. What happened out there?

         Presenterino.

         I'll make five counted out.

         Six.

         Seven.

         Eight. Guys, if all of us are here, then who's dealing with what's happening?

         I dunno, but I'm ready to find out.

         ...

         …

         ...

         …

         …

         ...

         ...

         ...Anu?

         I can't do it.

         Excuse me?

          _I can't do it._

         Sure you can, try harder.

         No, I physically can't do it, Vikki. Something's keeping me out.

         What? Oh no oh no oh no, this is bad, isn't it?

         ...I dunno. I think we need to see each other.

* * *

 

         The mindscape is like a void. Dark, black, empty. Well. Empty until it isn't. Empty until you fill it with memories, creativity, and imagination. But even then, you alone get to decide how much you see at any time. And for some, that is none of it.

         Eight figures appear there, slowly, but simultaneously all at once. Five of them see memories around them. Three do not. Barely a second passes, and they all sit around a table in a small café.

         "...okay. Does anyone know what's going on?" one speaks. Blonde. Short. Indignant. Androgynous. Blue.

         Another responds, "I thought we'd established that no, no one knows because no one's in charge." Brunette. Tan. Tall. Aloof. Male. Orange.

         A third pushes her glasses up on her nose. Black hair. Dark skin. Analytical. Purple. "And apparently, no one can take charge either," she speaks almost in monotone, "which makes things a bit more complicated."

         Seven turn to look at one. Teal-blue hair. Short. Male. A bit too relaxed. Yellow. And eating. He almost spits out the food in his mouth when he notices the attention on him. "Wha' did I do?"

         "As far as we know? Nothing," the blue one says, obviously knowing that he did something. "But you were in charge when shit went down, and I think we deserve the full story."

         "No details withheld," a fifth voice speaks up. Black hair. Pale. Tall. Tired. Androgynous. Fuschia. "If we are going to figure out what's going on, we need to know _everything_."

         "Okay, okay," the yellow boy concedes. "I swear I was just getting some food—"

         "Cuz when are you not?" the orange one quipps.

         The yellow boy points at the orange boy. "Shut up! That's not your business." He sighs. "Anyway, I was just getting some food, and the usual jerk tripped me. I was getting back up when he tried to punch me."

         There was a pause. "...And?" the fuschia one prompts, waving their hand impatiently.

         "I dunno, honest!"

         "Did you or did you not fight back?"

         "Fight back?" He pauses. "I might've. I _must've_. The dude looked pretty banged up after a bit, that's when I nope'd out."

         "Yeah, and left _me_ to deal with _your_ mess," the blue one spits viciously. "You got the guy sent to the hospital."

         "I did? Rad."

         "No, not rad!" This was another voice. Purple hair. Tan. Anxious. Female. Seafoam. "Apparently the cops are after us! That's _really really bad_! Not really really rad."

         The blue one starts to count off on their fingers. "Sent a guy to the hospital, got the cops called on us, got us locked out of our own body, there's been a lot going on as of recently."

         "Who says I'm the reason we're locked out?" the yellow boy shouts indignantly.

         "All I've done is get us the hell out of the school and talk to someone! How would that do anything to cause our lockdown?"

         " _Boys_!" the purple girl snaps, and the two arguing figments turn to look at her. "Stop it, you're not accomplishing anything."

         "She's right," the fuschia one agrees. "We need to figure out what happened and how to fix it, not point fingers at each other."

         "What about the spark lighter?" the seafoam girl asks timidly.

         "I said this already, I don't have a spark lighter!" The yellow boy pops a piece of gum into his mouth, then crosses his arms.

         "It was an electrical fire, dude." The blue one speaks with barely restrained anger. "And as far as I could tell, all the lights were in place, so it couldn't have been that. There weren't any other electronics anywhere near us that could have been shorted out, and besides, nothing except the bully's body was burned."

         "I promise you I don't have a spark lighter." He looks pale as he speaks. "Hell, _we_ don't have a spark lighter."

         "Well is there any other way to explain the mysterious electrical fire?"

         "There might be."

         That had been the seventh voice. The seventh figment. Ginger. Freckled. Quiet. Female. Green. "And what might that be?" Blue's misplaced anger makes her flinch back.

         There was a pause. Then, "Terry thought it might be supernatural."

         Once again, seven sets of eyes land on the yellow boy. One looks apologetic. One looks accusing. The other five simply look.

         "Okay, well, there's clearly no other explanation." The yellow boy looks uncomfortable as he speaks. The cats probably all the way in Arizona, that's how long it's been out of the bag." 

         "Do you have any evidence for the paranormal side of things?" The purple girl, ever stoic, asks him.

         "More like a lack of evidence," he admits. "It couldn't have been a light, or any other electronics. It wasn't a spark lighter. And yet there was still an electrical fire."

         "Could you specify 'paranormal', or is that beyond you?" The orange boy smirks as he speaks, and it morphs to a grin as the yellow boy glares at him.

         "I didn't say _paranormal_ , I said _supernatural_. Either way, I can't exactly get  down to one option. It probably wasn't a ghost of any kind, it probably wasn't aliens, but that leaves all the energy shit, right?" He glanced at the seafoam girl for confirmation.

         He gets a nod in return. "Yeah, energy can manifest as electricity, which could easily cause the fire." she said "Were you trying to hurt the guy?"

         "No, I swear I was just trying to make sure _he_ didn't hurt _me_!"

         "This is bullshit," the fuschia one grumbles. "Why are we even considering this option?"

         "Even more bullshit than eight people in one body?" the green one says in return, finally speaking at normal volume. "Face it Jo, we're _living_ a kind of supernatural theory."

         They shut up after that. "Okay," the blue one starts, "let me humor you. Let's say it's an energy surge. Someone or something still triggered it."

         Everyone was silent. Then, the yellow boy mumbled something. "What was that?" asked the purple girl.

         "It actually might have been me," he said sheepishly.

         The orange boy actually gasps. "Woah, what a shocker!"

         "Shut up, Marshal, no one asked you. But uh, yeah, I may have seen my fingers spark a bit before the dude's shirt caught on fire."

         The blue girl bangs her open palm on the "imaginary" table. "You _what_ ?! And you only thought to tell us this _now_?!"

         "I didn't know how to explain it, okay?" He raises his hands in surrender. "I didn't think you would believe me! Plus, you were mad enough at me."

         "Well guess what, I'm even more mad now!"

         With that, the blue one raises their hand in preparation to shove the yellow boy… and ends up blasting water from their hand at him instead.

         He falls backwards out of his chair, and the entire illusion of the café crumbles around them. The seven who were once still in chairs fall to the invisible ground, grunting in pain.

         Once he stops flipping over, the yellow boy looks at the blue one. "See?" he shouts. "Now you've done it, too!"

         It's silent. "Well," the purple one starts, but before she can finish, the mindscape flickers around them, blinking between colour and the inky blackness they are used to.

         All at once the eight apparitions cry out and vanish.

         And somewhere outside, Riley Masters' eyes snap open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all can we get an F in the chat for the figments


End file.
